Having secured a preliminary agreement with the Steamboat Springs City Council, the potential developers of new neighborhoods in west Steamboat plan to spend the coming months trying to overcome a series of hurdles as they work toward development and annexation applications.

The process is scheduled to begin next month, when Brynn Grey returns to the council to discuss how it plans to address the water needs of the new neighborhoods.

It will be round two for the developers on the water discussion.

The city’s elected officials passed on an earlier proposal from the developers that sought to relax the city’s requirements to have projects come with water rights or be assessed a fee, in lieu.

Brynn Grey has proposed to continue tackling one topic per month, with a goal of having a development application ready in August.

Other topics the city and the developer will have to address include sewer, transportation, parks and trails, housing, sustainability and financing.

Steamboat resident Bill Jameson warned the council at its last meeting that the timeline proposed by Brynn Grey for tackling issues associated with a potential annexation appeared too aggressive.

“We’ve had five meetings or so, and we keep hearing about this emerald city on the hill that is going to materialize, but they still have not gotten close to addressing the first issue we’ve identified, which is water,” Jameson said. “To think that you’re going to solve water in a month is unrealistic.”

Jameson encouraged the council to take more time with the annexation topics and solicit more community feedback.

At the same meeting, other community members spoke in favor of Brynn Grey’s initial proposal, saying it was time for the city to take action.

Jameson’s comment that “cheerleaders” who have spoken in favor of the housing proposal may not represent the entire community also sparked a rebuttal.

Steamboat resident Tyler Goodman said the cheerleaders he has seen speaking in favor of the potential housing developments are community leaders.

“They are smart people,” Goodman said.

Initial comments about Brynn Grey’s proposal suggest some community leaders believe the annexation application will spark a debate between pro and anti-growth members of the community.

On Dec. 13, the council endorsed a memorandum of understanding with Brynn Grey that will have the developers pay up to $10,000 for the time city staff spends vetting the annexation proposal.

Brynn Grey’s revised annexation concept would create a new neighborhood for locals on the west end of town, complete with space for a new elementary school, commercial spaces and a grocery store.

The developers have changed their proposal to a smaller-phased annexation, a concept city officials appear to favor over a larger annexation of the entire former Steamboat 700 parcel.

In Phase 1, the proposed annexation area now includes about 400 housing units in three neighborhoods that would also encompass open space and trails.

The neighborhoods would host a mix of housing types, including duplexes and townhomes.

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors

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